Occurrence of human hepatitis E virus in Norway rats: A zoonotic potential with great public health implications

ObjectiveTo investigate the occurrence of human hepatitis E virus genotype I among sheep and rats as well as seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies among people live in rural settings.MethodsFecal samples were collected from 43 Norway rats and 30 sheep. All fecal samples were examined for the presence of human hepatitis E virus genotype I through direct detection using RT-PCR. In addition, serum samples collected from 90 apparently healthy persons live in rural settings were examined for the presence of hepatitis E virus IgG antibodies by using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.ResultsOut of 73 examined animals, human hepatitis E virus genotype I was detected in five animals giving an overall prevalence 6.8% while only rats given positive results 11.6%. Furthermore, the overall seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus IgG antibodies among the examined individuals was 63.3% while the seroprevalence in adults (75.0%) was higher than that in children (34.6%).ConclusionsThe detection of human hepatitis E virus genotype I in the feces of Norway rats in such high prevalence highlights the possible role which may be played by such animal in the epidemiology of hepatitis E virus infections in rural settings where the virus is more prevalent among human populations.